It is a sad fact that women make up only 14% of the science, tech, engineering and maths (STEM) workforce in the UK. Compare that to the 80% of women in healthcare, leisure and administration sectors. For an industry that is constantly growing and adapting, there is little excuse. Change needs to happen, and fast.

This is where Sheridan Ash, women in tech leader, comes in. She set up the women in technology programme at PwC, the second largest professional services firm in the world. She did so because there were simply not enough females in technology across her global business.

“This is not a unique phenomenon – even tech giants such as Facebook and Google have similar challenges,” says Ash. And she’s right. At Google, 30% of their tech workers are female, at Facebook it’s 15%, and Twitter a mere 10%. “This may be the industry norm, but we are committed to doing far, far better.”

Fortunately, Ash is walking the walk. To address this problem, her women in tech programme makes technology a more attractive, inclusive working environment. They aim to hire more women into PwC, train more females who enter it, and work harder to advance those already there.

Though she is reluctant to admit it, Sheridan is a role model for women in tech; one of the few. And she got there the hard way. Leaving school at 16 with no qualifications, she was spotted by an agent and quickly thrown into the world of runway modelling. But it was far from an easy ride.

“At 16, I was dyslexic and felt largely neglected by the education system. By 28, I was a divorced single mother with no career prospects. So, I did what I had to do. I picked myself up, did my A levels and earned a place at university,” says Ash.

This degree led to an MBA and was followed by a long and steady climb up the corporate ladder, all the while honing her passion and ability in the tech world. Ash is now the women in tech leader for PwC, and works to develop and implement its technology strategy.

“I had to struggle very hard in this industry to climb my way up. And although I have worked with great people, there was very little support for a single parent and a female,” she explains. “As a woman, it can feel impossible at times to get to the top. That is why I am so passionate about what this initiative can achieve.”

The goal of the programme is two-fold. To increase the number of women employed within tech as a whole, and to advance them into more senior positions. To do so, the programme actively recruits female graduates while creating opportunities for leadership development, mentorship, career advancement and global networking. Ash states that the initiative also tackles internal problems by looking at the entire career trajectory of women in tech within PwC.

So far, it seems to be working. The percentage of women in technology consulting at PwC has grown from 14% to 20% in just two years. Ash said they did it by getting the basics right.

“On our consulting graduate programme we find that women were less likely to choose technology as their career path. We went on a massive campaign to lure them in and learn about the breadth of tech careers we have across our business,” says Ash. “We’re looking to attract students with STEM subjects but we’re just as keen to hear from arts and humanities students as we’ll provide fantastic training and support to give them the best possible platform to start their tech career”.

You can’t be what you can’t see

Marian Wright Edelman

There is a wider societal problem at play. A study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that girls still lack the confidence to pursue high-paid careers in science and technology, despite their school results being as good as – or better than – boys’. PwC has also commissioned a like-minded piece of research, to be released in March of this year, which will suggest that the lack of role models is a huge part of this problem.

“It comes up time and time again; women don’t even consider an education in technology because they don’t have any role models or points of references, professional, social or otherwise. We just don’t see women in tech,” says Ash, quoting American activist Marian Wright Edelman: “you can’t be what you can’t see”.

Fortunately, PwC continues to put its money where its mouth is. Its next stage involves working with university and alliance partners.

Ash is hoping for a tidal wave of change. Twenty years on, she believes her initiative, and others like it, will make an impact. The figures, she says, will be turned on their head: an equal number of women and men in tech as a whole, and among the people who lead it.

“It is a great time for women to get involved in tech. What young girls today could achieve in 20 years’ time is almost unimaginable. The future generation of women need to be taught to be savvy about the choices they make for their careers, and play to their strengths. A lot of tech work involves building relationships and understanding how to use technology to create engaging consumer experiences - after all, women are often the main buyers and users of the tech,” says Ash. “Tech is going to change the world. It already has. I passionately believe that women need to be an equal part of that change.”

Marcie MacLellan is head of content and production at Frank & Lively, the East London content agency. You can follow her on Twitter @frankandlively.